Christmas in Grandview
by SkinnyKidSpencer
Summary: Aiden asks his parents for a very special Christmas gift. This story is their journey. Rated K. Complete.
1. Christmas Wish

**AN: Another holiday themed fic, I mentioned I had more ideas for these didn't I? This one's gunna be a multi-chaptered piece though. Haven't written one of those in years and the fact that this one is Jimmel and little Aiden makes it that much better. **

Melinda and Jim have just arrived at the mall, they are on the hunt for Christmas presents for their son, Aiden. "Did he tell you what he wants?" Jim asked his wife. Melinda shook her head.

"Please tell me he gave you a hint." The ghost whisperer pleaded. Jim chuckled softly.

"He wants Lego and a puppy." He informed the woman he loves. Melinda sighed.

"Lego first, we'll discuss the puppy as we walk. What do you think?" She asked her husband.

"I think it will teach him responsibility. If we get him a dog, there are rules. He has to feed, brush and play with the dog without being told. He has to walk it at least twice a day, we'll accompany him though. The two of them have to go to training classes together and Aiden has to be master." Jim voiced his thoughts. Melinda smiled, silently agreeing. The couple stopped walking when they came across the Lego. Jim picked up a box and as the young parents headed to the checkout Jim had a question for Mel. "What breed should we get him?" Melinda thought for a couple seconds and then she started to talk.

"I want to get him a decent sized dog, but not something that'll be too big for him to manage. A golden retriever or a Sheltie?" She pondered. Jim smiled,

"Golden Retriever." Melinda winked and kissed her husband softly, his smiles are like magnets, they draw her to him.

Back at home, Melinda was busying herself with wrapping Aiden's Lego while Jim cooks dinner for the small family. She has to finish up quickly because Aiden will be home soon. Just as the young mother finishes hiding the wrapped present in the hall closet, the front door opens and Delia trails behind a happily running Aiden.

"Hi mom." Aiden greets Melinda. "Where's dad?" He asks.

"He's making dinner in the kitchen bud." Mel answers her son as she smiles-her boys make her so happy. Aiden smiles gratefully in his mother's direction and then excitedly runs to tell his father all about his day.

"...and then Ned showed all the firecrackers he's had since he was younger! It was so cool dad!" The young boy chatters happily. Melinda chuckles as she catches the ending to her son's animated story. Aiden turns towards the sound of his mom's laugh and smiles at her again.

"Dinner's ready." Jim announces to the room as he stirs the spaghetti sauce one last time and turns off the burner. "Aiden, can you set the table please?" Aiden hurries over to the cupboard that holds all the glasses and grabs three. After he puts them on the table at the right chairs, he puts the plates down as Melinda puts the forks and knives in their proper spots. Jim brings the pot of spaghetti and a heat protector to the table before he scooped some food onto his son's plate. As the adults at the table are taking turns filling their own plates, Jim clears his throat and starts to speak. "Aiden?" Aiden looks at his father.

"Yeah dad?" He questions.

"Do you remember asking me for a puppy for Christmas?" Jim elaborates. Aiden's eyes go wide and he nods repeatedly in a fast motion.

"Yes daddy." He voices what his body language already told his parents.

"Your mom and I talked about it and we decided we'll get you one, but there are a few rules you have to promise to keep doing your dog's whole life, okay?" Aiden nods silently, listening intently. "You have to brush, feed and pick up after it all by yourself. You also have to walk it two times a day, but mom and I will be coming with you. You have to tell us it's walk time though, we won't be reminding you." Aiden nods again, his smile growing. Jim continues. "You have to help around the house to earn money towards his food and if your dog misses any of his walks, you will lose 30 minutes of TV time. Are you okay with that buddy? Remember, this is a promise." Aiden giggles excitedly and agrees wholeheartedly. Melinda smiles wide and joins into the conversation.

"Daddy and I are still going to pick your dog in secret, but you have to think of names."

"Names?" Aiden asks. Jim chuckles.

"A boy name and a girl name."

"Okay!" Aiden answers.

"Tomorrow we'll go to the store and get everything we need, but for now it's time to finish your food and get upstairs for your bath and bed." Melinda tells her son. Aiden smiles, takes his last two bites and sprints upstairs to get to the bathroom. Melinda giggles. "Guess it's another self proclaimed race dad to the bath night, huh baby?" Jim grins.

"Guess so. I better get up there before he starts without me." The young husband makes his way up the stairs to start his son's nighttime routine.

~The next morning~

Melinda is in the kitchen bright and early cooking eggs and pancakes for breakfast. Her little family has to be fuelled for their big day today of puppy supply shopping. Jim makes his way downstairs a few minutes later to start the coffee. As soon as the coffee is poured into mugs and Melinda starts dishing out food onto plates, Aiden comes barrelling into the kitchen dressed for his big day. "Morning mom, morning dad!" The young boy greets his parents. Melinda and Jim share a look and smile proudly.

"Morning baby." Melinda responds. "Eat up, then you can brush your teeth and get your shoes on so we can go."

"Yay!" Aiden cheers excitedly. The youngest Clancy gobbles down his breakfast and drinks his milk as fast he can. "I'm done." The boy informs his parents. Jim laughs.

"I can see that. Go brush your teeth while your mom and I finish eating, okay?" Aiden jumps up from his seat without replying and rushes upstairs to do as he's told. Melinda smiles.

"We have one happy boy on our hands Jim, I'm glad we decided to make his wish come true." Melinda voices her thoughts aloud. Jim smiles in response and pecks her lips. The moment is broken by a very loud and happy five year old.

"I'm ready, let's go!" The young parents chuckle as they see their son struggling to put on his shoes while standing up.

"Sit down baby, it'll help." Melinda gently reminds her son. Once everybody has their shoes on, the family makes their way to Melinda's Jeep to start their long day of shopping. The car ride is filled with laughter and singing along to the radio and before long Jim pulls into the Petsmart parking lot. Aiden flings open his door and runs to the front door of the shop eagerly. His parents quickly follow him and head inside. Aiden's eyes grow wide in amazement,

"Wow! Look at all the stuff mom!" Melinda grins when she sees the innocence in her little boy's eyes despite everything he goes through with ghosts.

"I see. Jim can you grab a cart please?" Jim quietly goes to grab a shopping cart and decides his job will be to push it.

"What do we need Mel?" He questions his wife-he's never had a dog before. Luckily, he knows his ever prepared wife has done research and has a list.

"We need a cage, a good quality food, food and water bowls, poop bags, treats for training, a storage bin for the food, toys, collar, leash and a name tag." The young mother lists off quickly. Jim laughs, knowing this will be a long day.

"First things first, a cage. We need a medium sized one." He states as he walks over to the cage area and grabs the appropriate size and puts the box in the bottom part of the cart, near the wheels.

"Food." Aiden speaks up next. Melinda grasps his hand in hers and leads the way to the food section with Jim following behind them. Melinda grabs a thirty pound bag of Royal Canin puppy food and throws it in the cart. Melinda checks the list and sees that bowls are next so she heads in that direction. When she sees there are two rows, she decides to let Aiden choose the bowl style he likes.

"Aiden, baby, pick what you want." Melinda tells her son. Aiden grins up at his mom and inquisitively scans the rows slowly.

"I want this army mat Mama and the silver bowls!" Aiden voices his choice. Jim ruffles Aiden's hair.

"Good job buddy, these are awesome!" Jim congratulates his son. The family go about grabbing the less exciting items until all they have left is his toys, collar, leash, and name tag to choose. Aiden runs through the toys aisle closely followed by Jim and the two grab a Kong, tennis balls and a rope toy. Jim jogs over to the leash and collar section to grab the red of each item. Once he rejoins his family in line he smiles.

"Just the name tag now and we're all set to pay." Jim says excitedly. At that moment, Melinda remembers two more items.

"Oh, I forgot! Jim, we still need pee pads and a pee pad holder. Can you grab them quickly please?"

"Sure Mel." Jim replies as he sets off to find the items. Melinda turns to her son.

"Okay bud, have you thought of a name for the name tag yet?" Aiden nods.

"I want a boy puppy Mama, his name is going to be Gunner." Aiden grins widely. Melinda chuckles.

"Alright, that sounds like a good name. The cashier makes the name tag and then Jim pays for everything they bought, including the pee pads and holder he was sent to find.

"Have a good day and enjoy your new addition.

~Christmas Day~

Melinda and Jim are on their way back from the breeder's with Aiden's puppy in Jim's lap. They turn into the driveway and clip Gunner's leash to his collar that they brought with them to lead him into the house. Aiden is sitting by the Christmas tree with his eyes covered by his tiny hands.

"Here you go bud." Jim says as he puts the puppy on the floor in front of his son. Aiden's face lights up.

"Oh my gosh, Gunner! I love you."

**TBC...**

**AN: There you have it folks. A rather lengthy first chapter to this story. Hopefully ya'll enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing. Please R&amp;R! Chapter Two coming within the next week or two. **


	2. Busy Boys

**AN: Here's Chapter 2 guys. I promise I'll do a better job of proof-reading this one. I was tired when I posted the first chapter. But, I'm pretty sure they're only mistakes a perfectionist like me would notice. Haha. Anyway, Chapter 2...**

Gunner's first week at home was a busy one for the Clancy family. Aiden was having a blast teaching his new best friend tricks, but for Melinda and Jim it meant middle of the night potty breaks since it wasn't safe for Aiden to go out in the dark alone. It was like having a newborn again, but it was worth it to see the light in their son's eyes. Aiden woke up bright and early. He had to let Gunner outside to go potty and then wait for his parents to wake up so they could go for their morning walk. "I want to do trick training while we wait." The young boy decided aloud. He quickly got dressed and quietly headed downstairs to let Gunner out of his cage. "Mornin' Gunner! You wanna go pee buddy?" Aiden asked the puppy. When Gunner whined in response, Aiden took him out in the front yard on his leash to do his business. The young boy gave his dog a treat just like his Mama told him to after Gunner went potty and then brought the energetic pup inside with him. "Okay buddy, listen. We're gunna do sit again and then you're going to learn down today." Aiden explained to the puppy in front of him. When the only response he got from Gunner was a head tilt, the young boy smiled and lured his 9 week old friend into a sit with one of his tennis balls. "Good boy!" The five year old congratulated as he scratched the dog's ear. "Okay, Gunner...down." Aiden spoke this time with more focus and moved the ball downwards until Gunner's paws and chest hit the floor. "Good dog, Gunner! Go get it." Aiden cheered as he tossed the ball away for the young pup to chase. As Gunner eagerly brought the ball back to his boy, Jim and Melinda descended the staircase.

"Wow Aid! Looks like Gunner's doing great." Jim spoke to his son, sounding impressed. Aiden grinned widely with pride shining brightly in his eyes.

"Thanks dad, he's a smart boy."

"It looks to me like you're both smart boys." Melinda spoke up.

"Thanks Mama!" Aiden responded gratefully. Melinda smiled and ruffled her son's head of floppy hair.

"Welcome bud, now let's go eat."

"Okay, I'm just going to put Gunner in his cage first." The young boy started. "I only want cereal so we can get him outside for his walk!" Aiden yelled over his shoulder as he led his dog away to his crate. Jim chuckled.

"Alright buddy. Captain Crunch?"

"Yes please!" Aiden yelled across the house as he locked the crate door. His parents made their way to the kitchen and Jim started to prepare Aiden's cereal as Melinda poured his orange juice. The energetic five year old made his way to his seat at the table minutes later and began happily munching on his breakfast. Jim started to prepare bacon and tomato sandwiches for himself and his wife and once the food was ready they started to eat as well. The small family finished their food and got ready to head outside for their walk. Aiden runs over to Gunner's cage, opens the door and clips his leash to the collar so they can sit and stay before they hit the neighbourhood. "Gunner, sit. Stay." Aiden ordered his puppy. Once the dog obeys his commands the five year old smiles and opens the front door. He steps out first and asks Gunner to follow. "Come boy." Gunner gets a pat on the head for listening. Melinda and Jim share a look and smile as they join hands and start walking down the driveway, Aiden and Gunner in front of them. After five minutes of walking nicely by his side, Aiden decides to run with his dog-they're both high energy little ones after all. "Come on Gunner, let's go." Aiden encourages the retriever. The two of them start to jog together at a good steady pace. Aiden giggles joyously as he watches the Golden's ears flop as they jog. The young boy stops and tells the dog to sit. Gunner does as he's told and Aiden produces a treat from his pocket. They turn around so they can head home again. As soon as all four walking partners hit the driveway Aiden and Gunner race to the front porch. "Good boy! You wanna go play, huh buddy?" The youngest Clancy asks aloud. Gunner lets out a little yip and Aiden giggles. "Okay!" They head indoors so Gunner can get fed before they play fetch in the backyard. The young pup gobbles down his food like he's never been fed a day in his life, this action causes all of the human pack to laugh in earnest. Once he's done, Gunner takes a few generous gulps of water and then Aiden runs towards the back door of the house with his Golden Retriever hot on his heels. Jim chuckles right before Melinda speaks.

"Those two really love each other, don't they?" Jim nods in response and heads outside to sit and watch his son playing with his puppy.

**AN: There's Chapter Two! I hope you're enjoying how this story is coming along. I'll be honest, I have no plan when I write this. I just get inspiration and I'm just as surprised as you guys at the end result. R&amp;R please!**


	3. Baseball with Dad

Aiden was sitting on the living room couch looking sad when all of a sudden, the young boy heaves a sigh. Jim walks in the room and at the sight of his forlorn son, he starts to become confused. "Hey buddy, what's the matter?" Aiden's blue eyes meet his father's sadly,

"Gunner's sleeping. I'm bored!" The young father lets out a light chuckle at this news.

"Oh. Do you wanna go play catch with me?"

"Okay! I'll go get my glove. Ask mom to come get me when Gunner wakes up please." Aiden calls over his shoulder as he races upstairs to his room. This causes Jim to laugh again.

**~Jim's P.O.V~**

"Hey Mel, the boy and I are going to go play catch in the backyard. Can you come get him when Gunner has to pee?" I ask my beautiful wife.

"Of course honey. I'm just starting lunch so I'll call you boys in when it's ready too." Melinda answers me.

"Thanks baby." I offer my wife a sweet kiss and squeeze her palm lightly. "I love you." I whisper in her ear.

"I love you too Jim" She responds happily. Aiden comes bounding down the stairs happily awaiting his play session with me.

"Hey bud, you ready to have some fun?" I ask, already knowing the answer. He chuckles at my silly question before he responds to it.

"Come on dad, hurry up! We don't have all day." Aiden rushes me, probably because Gunner will soon wake up.

"Okay. Last one in the yard is a rotten egg!" I challenge my son and before I can blink he's taken off like a bullet for the back door, leaving only giggles in his place. I chuckle because I always do when I hear his laugh. "Darn it, see you soon Mel." I blow my wife a kiss as I depart the kitchen. When I finally step off the back porch onto the grass I see Aiden practising his throws and then running to pick up his baseball. I laugh loudly and he looks in my direction.

"What? I couldn't wait for you, you slowpoke." Aiden rushes out his defence. I send my grin his way before I offer him my glove as a target.

"Alright short stuff. Throw it to me, as hard as you can." I lightly offer without much thought. Aiden does exactly what he's told and I'm left with a stinging palm. I wince, trying not to let him see my pain.

"Nice job Bruce Banner." I congratulate him, proud of his emerging skills.

"Thanks dad!" Aiden cheers from across the yard as he runs to meet me for a high five. When I look up I see Melinda coming out onto the porch to watch us play.

"Aiden, Gunner just woke up so he needs to pee and then lunch is ready. Hurry up, he's whining." Mel gently tells our son.

"Okay mom. I'll go get him right away."

"Thank you baby, but please take off your shoes before you walk through the house!" Melinda calls after him. I chuckle softly.

"I'm so glad we decided he needed that dog. It's good for him and I love their bond." I confide to my wife.

"Me too handsome." She places a soft kiss on my lips before we both head inside for lunch.

**AN: There you go folks. Long time coming and I know it's short, but I plan to work on this storyline a lot more over the next few weeks. I'll probably throw a few time jumps in just to keep the story moving so I can finish it and move onto something new. Hope you liked the update regardless. **

** .**


	4. Practice with Tricks

**AN: Hi guys, here again. I forgot to mention when I started this story that Jim never died so "Aiden Lucas" is really Aiden Lucas Clancy. It's just natural for me to write reprimands using only the first and middle names. Hopefully that hasn't confused any of you. I posted this chapter early for two reasons. 1) I finished it early and 2) My boyfriend will be here all day tomorrow. 3 Anyways, read away my lovelies. **

Melinda descends the staircase in the Clancy household just in time to see Gunner and her son running wild through the living room. She shakes her head and lets out a knowing sigh at the chaos. "Aiden Lucas, you better take that craziness outside." She chastises lightly, even her well behaved son needs a reminder sometimes.

"Morning Mama." Aiden says before kissing his mother's cheek. "I'll take Gunner outside to play instead. Can dad make his pancakes today? Please Mama?" The little boy begs. Melinda lets out a giggle at his eagerness.

"I'm sure he will baby. I'll tell him you asked for them when he wakes up." She lets him know.

"Sweet!" Aiden cheers. "Thanks Mama. Come on Gunner!" He rushes out before he runs off in a hurry to get to the backyard. Melinda shakes her head with a smile on her lips.

"That boy is so silly." Melinda mutters to herself as she turns around to go get dressed. When she does, she sees her

husband, Jim Clancy, silently watching her from the landing of their staircase. She smiles wide just like she always does when she looks at this man. "Why Mr. Clancy, if I didn't love you I'd say you were rather creepy." She giggles in response to his fake shocked face. "I'm just going to get dressed, Aiden has requested daddy's famous pancakes for breakfast this morning." Jim kisses his wife good morning before responding.

"Alright honey, I'll go start them then. Where is our boy this morning?" He asks inquisitively. Melinda turns around to tell Jim that he's outside with his dog before continuing up the stairs to their shared bedroom. When Melinda was done getting ready for the day twenty minutes later she joined Jim in the kitchen.

"Can I help you with anything in here babe?" Melinda asks her husband happily. Jim looks up for a moment, taking a break from stirring his homemade pancake batter to answer her.

"No thanks love, I have it covered. Why don't you just go relax on the couch until the food is ready?" Jim suggests. Melinda nods absentmindedly as she silently makes her way to the glass door that leads to the backyard to watch her son play unnoticed. It always makes her smile to see the joy and pride in his eyes whenever someone asks him about Gunner. This thought brings to mind another. The way Aiden acts with Gunner is the way she's always acted with her son and in that moment Melinda realizes her baby is growing up, this causes a single tear to roll down her cheek. She chuckles at her silliness and wipes it away.

Later that day, after the hustle and bustle of eating and cleaning up from breakfast, Aiden comes to his parents with excitement in his bright blue eyes. Jim smiles at the look on his son's face. "What's up bud?" He questions the five year old.

"I've been working super hard on a surprise for you and Mama. Do you want to see it?" Aiden asks as he jumps on the spot, unable to contain his exhilaration. Melinda smiles softly in his direction and responds for both herself and Jim.

"Of course baby. Go ahead, we're watching." Aiden gives his mother one of his famous smiles before crouching on the floor in front of his puppy.

"Okay Gunner, gimme five buddy." He prompts the young dog. "Good job boy!" Aiden cheers once Gunner does as he's told. The five year old gives his pup a scratch on the head and a treat for a job well done. "Okay boy, shake left." Gunner produces his paw. "Good! Shake right boy." and the puppy gives his master the other paw. Aiden gives Gunner a small handful of treats for the multiple tricks. Melinda and Jim share a look and a smile at the hard work and dedication their son has shown for his dog. "Ready boy?" Aiden asks in an excited tone. When Gunner gives him a head tilt, Aiden smiles and says "Rollover." Gunner does it no problem. "Great job buddy!" Aiden congratulates the golden. "Are you ready for the big finish?" Gunner gives a small yip as an answer which causes Jim and Melinda to laugh. "Alright boy, come on." Aiden instructs his dog in a focused manner as he taps the side of his leg. This results in Gunner following his boy, head at his knee with periodic glances at his face. "Okay Gunner, sit." The dog does as he's told and Aiden gives him a nice long ear scratch as a reward. When Gunner lies down to rest, Aiden looks at his parents expectantly before asking, "Do you think we did good? Good enough for the bring your pet to school day because I want to show all my friends." Jim and Melinda share another look of pride before glancing at their son.

"You both did great." The parents say in unison.

"I'm very proud of you Aid." Jim tells his son.

***End***

**AN2: Well folks, that is all for this one. I hope it held up to your expectations. I have another piece in the works and I'm always taking story requests. If you'd like anything specific, shoot me a PM. I can do Ghost Whisperer, Client List, One Tree Hill and Charmed fandoms. I might even be willing to try a Criminal Minds fic if anyone has any solid ideas for that. Until next time, **

** .**


End file.
